Mapping change. We can map the change in a specific geographic area to anticipate future conditions, decide on a course of action, or to evaluate the results of an action or policy. Example: below we see land use maps of Barnstable, MA showing changes in residential development from to The dark green shows forest, while bright yellow shows residential development.
Applications like this can help inform community planning processes and policies. Overview Geospatial data is created, shared, and stored in many different formats. The two primary data types are raster and vector.
Vector data is represented as either points, lines, or polygons. Discrete or thematic data is best represented as vector. Data that has an exact location, or hard boundaries are typically shown as vector data. Examples are county boundaries, the location of roads and railroads using lines, or point data indicating the location of fire hydrants. By contrast, raster data is best suited for continuous data, or information that does not have hard boundaries or locations.
As rasters, the data are viewed as a series of grid cells where each cell has a value representing the feature being observed. Think of raster data as appropriate for modeling surfaces like elevation, temperature, precipitation, or soil Ph. These phenomena are measured at intervals think weather stations , and values in between are interpolated to create a continuous surface.
Raster data also includes remote sensing imagery, like aerial photography and satellite imagery. Vector Formats:. To have a complete shapefile, you must have at least 3 files with the same prefix name and with the following extensions:.
Often, GIS must manipulate data because different maps have different projections. Different types of projections accomplish this task in different ways, but all result in some distortion. To transfer a curved, three-dimensional shape onto a flat surface inevitably requires stretching some parts and squeezing others.
GIS takes data from maps that were made using different projections and combines them so all the information can be displayed using one common projection. Once all the desired data have been entered into a GIS system, they can be combined to produce a wide variety of individual maps, depending on which data layers are included.
One of the most common uses of GIS technology involves comparing natural features with human activity. For instance, GIS maps can display what man-made features are near certain natural features, such as which homes and businesses are in areas prone to flooding.
Maps of a single city or neighborhood can relate such information as average income, book sales, or voting patterns. Any GIS data layer can be added or subtracted to the same map. GIS maps can be used to show information about numbers and density. With GIS technology, researchers can also look at change over time. They can use satellite data to study topics such as the advance and retreat of ice cover in polar regions, and how that coverage has changed through time.
A police precinct might study changes in crime data to help determine where to assign officers. One important use of time-based GIS technology involves creating time-lapse photography that shows processes occurring over large areas and long periods of time. For example, data showing the movement of fluid in ocean or air currents help scientists better understand how moisture and heat energy move around the globe.
GIS technology sometimes allows users to access further information about specific areas on a map. A person can point to a spot on a digital map to find other information stored in the GIS about that location. For example, a user might click on a school to find how many students are enrolled, how many students there are per teacher, or what sports facilities the school has. GIS systems are often used to produce three-dimensional images.
This is useful, for example, to geologists studying earthquake faults. GIS technology makes updating maps much easier than updating maps created manually. Updated data can simply be added to the existing GIS program. A new map can then be printed or displayed on screen. This skips the traditional process of drawing a map, which can be time-consuming and expensive. People working in many different fields use GIS technology. GIS technology can be used for scientific investigations, resource management , and development planning.
Many retail businesses use GIS to help them determine where to locate a new store. Marketing companies use GIS to decide to whom to market stores and restaurants, and where that marketing should be. Scientists use GIS to compare population statistics to resources such as drinking water. Biologists use GIS to track animal- migration patterns. City, state, or federal officials use GIS to help plan their response in the case of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane.
GIS maps can show these officials what neighborhoods are most in danger, where to locate emergency shelters, and what routes people should take to reach safety. Engineers use GIS technology to support the design, implementation, and management of communication networks for the phones we use, as well as the infrastructure necessary for internet connectivity. Other engineers may use GIS to develop road networks and transportation infrastructure.
Illustration courtesy U. Government Accountability Office. Great article. This really does go some way to articulate the benefits of GIS in a language which willbe understood.
It was a good article but you can make it better by highlighting the applications of GIS in food security and management and social humanitarian sector so people could know how to implement GIS in their respective fields.
Search for:. The benefits of GIS generally fall into five basic categories: 1. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Like this: Like Loading Good article, would have been nice to see the reference to ESRI though.
Follow Following. GIS and Science Join other followers. Telecom and Network Services 2. Accident Analysis and Hot Spot Analysis 2.
Urban planning 2. Transportation Planning 2. Environmental Impact Analysis 2. Agricultural Applications 2. Disaster Management and Mitigation 2. Navigation 2. Flood damage estimation 2. Natural Resources Management 2. Banking 2. Taxation 2. Surveying 2. Geology 2. Assets Management and Maintenance 2.
Planning and Community Development 2. Dairy Industry 2. Irrigation Water Management 2. Pest Control and Management 2. Like this: Like Loading Get the Free Guide!
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